Prostate Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Prostate Cancer, including details on symptoms, genetics, screening, treatment, information.

Gamma-tocotrienol metabolism and antiproliferative effect in prostate cancer cells.

Conte C, Floridi A, Aisa C, Piroddi M, Floridi A, Galli F

University of Perugia, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Applied Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences, Via del Giochetto, 06126 Perugia, Italy. f.galli@unipg.it

In this study, we evaluated the antiproliferative effect of tocotrienols (T3) and the presence of a specific vitamin E metabolism in PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells. These cell lines are able to transform tocopherols (T) and T3 in the corresponding carboxyethyl-hydroxychromans metabolites (CEHCs). The extent of this metabolism and the inhibitory effect on cell growth followed the order of magnitude alpha-T<alpha-T3<gamma-T<gamma-T3. The partial inhibition of gamma-T3 metabolism by ketoconazole did not influence cell proliferation. These early findings may suggest that the transformation of vitamin E to CEHC is mostly a detoxification mechanism useful to maintain the malignant properties of prostate cancer cells.

Published 8 March 2005 in Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1031: 391-4.
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